MANILA, Philippines - Team Cabugao town emerged as the overall champion in the first Gov. Ryan Singson Rescuelympics held at the newly refurbished Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur recently.
Clinching runner-up honors was Team Santa town with Team Sugpon town rounding out the podium finishers in the province-wide competition testing the skills in various scenarios of the more than 400 rescuers from the municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC).
The winning teams brought home P75,000, P50,000 and P25,000 worth of rescue gears and equipment, respectively.
“Rescuelympics is towards better disaster preparation through sports related challenge,” Gov. Singson said.
Competitors battled in obstacle course, tug o’ war, water search and rescue operations, squad race and the different contests of basic rescue response and operations like applying first aid, basic life support, carrying victims in stretcher and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
The provincial DRRMC headed by Gov. Singson came up with this activity to hone further the capabilities and competencies of the rescuers.
Rescuelympics, which will be institutionalized, was staged also in support of the nationwide drills as part of the awareness campaign among the residents of Ilocos Sur and prepare them for any emergency.
“I salute the heroism of the rescuers. They are willing to sacrifice and even risk their welfare just to secure the safety of the people,” PDRRM’s Michael Chan said.